LAW REPORTS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 68, 14 December 1918, Page 2

LAW REPORTS

SUPREME COURT

... PETITION.. IN DIVORCE. I His Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) yesterday, heard a petition •■by Mabel- Elennor Gill for dissolution of. her marriage 'with' , Frederick George Beresford Gill,. auctioneer, of Wellington. Mr. A, AV. Blair-'appeared in support of the petition, .. whj.cn . w.ne_ made upon grounds of ndultery.- - ..." The petitioner stated that she married the respondent on January 28. 1908, at Wellington. After the marriage the parties lived first at Blenheim, and'then at Hataitai. In. 1910 they found, they! could not agree, and they separated. A 6on had i been, born'of the marriage".'in 1909. After the separation the husband - mado petitioner an allowance, but not one snffi--eiently large to.keep both . herself and the child. She therefore "had -to wort , to support, herself. Two months ago the respondent had agreed to take the boy over and give him an education. Witness did not personally, know anything. with reference • to the misconduct ~ alleged against the respondent Walter Dinnie, carrying on business as a private inquiry agent in ' Wellington, stated that towards the end of last year he mado observations of Gill's conduct. On the evening of September IS, 1017, Gill -was-walking in Willis Street with a woman whom he later accompanied to. an. address on the ■..Terrace. Both Gill-and tile woman entered the house,' and at 10.20 they reappeared ,and went to- make some purchases at' . a Chinaman's'establishment. Gill carried, tho parcels back to the house, and about 10.50 he left- and caught a- tram. On another occasion witness observed, that the lights were out in the-honee for a considerable time during a visit-of the respondent. Gill's evening calls wero very frequent, and tho lights often went put. '. There' was. no .appearance of the respondent. , ...'.... ' !.."" .'.. .. His Honour said that apparently there was no intention on the part of 'tho respondent to defend the case. He granted a. decree nisi, to bo made absolute in three months. . ... . ..... . .

AUCKLAND CRIMINAL SESSIONS SENTENCE ON A CRIPPLE. ■ By Telegraph—Press Association 'Auckland, 'December 13. Thomas "Gunn, Patrick. Gunn, and Alexander Gunn pleaded guilty to charges of receiving in connection with the recent- burglaries in the city. -Sentence was deferred. ■ Charles Raymond Christey, who was yesterday convicted- of'having given a girl of seventeen a drug for the purpose of procuring .abortion, came up for sentence. Mr. , Justice Stringer .expressed satisfaction that the jury had sufficient moral courage to find a verdict in accordance with the evidence. There had been a tendency among certain juries to look upon the procuring of abortion as more or less of a legitimate employment, which was of course a deplorable state of affairs. "I think in my .experience,' , added His Honour,- "this is almost the flrst.jtime ,;\ conviction has been recorded." After commenting on. the. fact that the man was'a cripple and would therefore, be an enfbarrassment. rather ~than otherwise to the gaol officials, and that for the, .same reason, imprisonment would probably-not-be'much in the nature-of a punishment Jor the , man;-(he Judge ordcrod prisoner to come up" for sentence when called upon. "That means," he remarked, "that you escape the punishment which you richly deserve, and which I would have administered to you but for. your physical disability."--' ■